The present invention relates to a rectifying apparatus for an automotive AC generator.
Increasing an effective capacity in a passenger compartment is an important matter to be realized for recent automotive vehicles. Thus, it is earnestly required to reduce the space of an engine room. Automotive AC generators are one of objects to be downsized. Accordingly, an important subject is to improve the cooling performance of a rectifying apparatus for an automotive AC generator, while maintaining adequate cooling efficiency against deterioration of temperature environment in the engine room or downsizing of the automotive AC generator itself.
For example, FIG. 11 shows a conventional automotive AC generator. According to this conventional automotive AC generator, both of positive and negative fins 101 and 102 mount rectifying elements 100 thereon. These fins 101 and 102 are arranged parallel to each other in an axial direction. A protecting cover 103 has two cooling air inlets 104 opened at predetermined portions near the rectifying elements 100. External air is directly introduced to the rectifying elements. More specifically, the back surfaces of the fins 101 and 102 are cooled by the cooling air.
However, according to the arrangement of the above-described conventional rectifying apparatus, the cooling air is introduced toward the centers of the rectifying elements 100 but directly guided to the back surfaces of the cooling fins 101 and 102. In other words, this arrangement is disadvantageous in that the cooling air cannot be smoothly conveyed to the element mounting surfaces of the cooling fins 101 and 102. Furthermore, the temperature of the cooling air will be increased undesirably when it arrives the rectifying elements 100, because the cooling air is brought into contact with warmed-up members before it reaches the downstream side. Thus, the cooling efficiency is worsened significantly.